Monday 15 December

• EU Council. Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Brussels) (see EUROPE 13772/13). *Energy: - Connecting Europe Facility: Partial agreement (‘partial general approach’) on the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for the period 2028-2034. - European networks: policy debate on the next package of measures on European networks with a view to modernising and extending them (strategic priorities and objectives). - Energy/security: in-camera exchange of views on the link between energy and security with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (vulnerability of infrastructures, interaction between energy policy and security). - Other business: programme of the forthcoming Cypriot Presidency of the Council; preparations for winter; progress report from the new Energy Union Working Group; application of the ‘methane’ regulation; application of the CBAM for electricity imports from Ukraine (Poland); lunchtime debate on ‘Europe’ security of supply and competitiveness in a changing global energy landscape’ with Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency.
• EU Council. Foreign Affairs Council (Brussels)(see EUROPE 13772/19). - War in Ukraine exchange of views via videoconference with the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Middle East and Syria: debate on the situation in the Middle East in general and Syria in particular. - China: exchange of views on EU-China relations. - Other business: information on hybrid threats against Member States. - Armenia: informal breakfast meeting with the Armenian Foreign Minister. - ‘A’ items: acts or measures to be adopted without debate: https://aeur.eu/f/jyc
• EU Council. EU-Lebanon Association Council (Brussels): - Bilateral relations: discussion on the implementation of the EU-Lebanon Association Agreement. - Regional issues: political dialogue on the situation in the region.
• EU Council. EU-Angola ministerial meeting (Brussels). - Political issues: discussion of political issues and the situation in Africa, as well as cooperation in multilateral fora. - Cooperation: exchange of views on cooperation between the two parties, trade and investment, in particular with the implementation of the European ‘Global Gateway’ strategy (Lobito corridor).
• EU Council. Preparatory bodies (Brussels): - Coreper II (also 14/12). - Antici Group (Simplification). Justice and Home Affairs Advisers. - Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management (Civcom). - Other meetings: https://aeur.eu/f/jyp
• European Parliament. Plenary sitting (to 18/12 – Strasbourg). Agenda: https://aeur.eu/f/jy8
• European Parliament. Committee activities (Strasbourg): - AFET-DEVE-DROI: exchange of views with the 2025 Sakharov Prize Laureates: (agenda: https://aeur.eu/f/jyg ). - SEDE: discussion in camera on the threat of hybrid warfare (attacks on Lithuania) (agenda: https://aeur.eu/f/jyi ). - SEDE-ITRE-ENVI: vote on the position with a view to the trilogue on the amendment of various regulations (rapp. S. Mikser, A. Decaro. A. Salla) (agenda: https://aeur.eu/f/jyi ). - SEDE-IMCO: vote on the position with a view to the trilogue on accelerating the issuing of permits for defence preparedness projects (rapp. L. Yar and H. Dahl) and for the simplification of directives 2009/43/EC and 2009/81/EC (rapp. P. Toveri and A. M. Henriksson) (agenda: https://aeur.eu/f/jyi ). - BUDG: ordinary meeting. - CONT: ordinary meeting. - ECON-LIBE: appointment of a member of the Executive Committee of the Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) (agenda: https://aeur.eu/f/jyj ). - ECON-EMPL: economic dialogue on the ‘European Semester 2026’ (agenda: https://aeur.eu/f/jyj ). - ENVI: report on the results of the trilogues on amending the regulations on circularity in vehicle design (rapp. J. Gieseke and P. Saudargas) and on the production and marketing of forest reproductive material (agenda: https://aeur.eu/f/jyk ). - ITRE-INTA: vote on the provisional agreement resulting from the trilogue on the amendment of the regulation on the cessation of imports of Russian gas (rapp. I. Vaidere and V. Niinistö) (agenda: https://aeur.eu/f/jym ).
• European Court of Auditors (Luxembourg). Publication of a special report on the EU’s anti-fraud architecture.

Tuesday 16 December

• EU Council. General Affairs Council (Brussels). - Preparation of the European Council: discussion on the draft conclusions. - MFF 2028-2034: policy debate on the EU’s 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). - Enlargement: approval of conclusions on EU enlargement. - Annual reports: presentation by the Commission of its annual reports on progress in simplification, implementation and application and ministerial exchange of views. - Legislation: joint declaration on EU legislative priorities for 2026. - European Semester: presentation by the Danish Presidency and the future Cypriot Presidency of the roadmap for the budgetary process of the ‘European Semester 2026’. - Cohesion: working lunch on the contribution of cohesion policy to the EU’s strategic priorities. - ‘A’ items: acts or measures to be adopted without debate: https://aeur.eu/f/jyb
• EU Council. Environment Council (Brussels). - Perspective 2030 Approval of the conclusions on the environment entitled ‘Building a more resilient and circular Europe’. - Bioeconomy: exchange of views on the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, recently presented by the European Commission. - Other business: reports by the Presidency and the Commission on international meetings and EU missions; presentation by the Commission of its report on the simplification, implementation and enforcement of environmental legislation; information on: the consequences of the CBAM for Ukraine (Poland), the strengthening of market surveillance (Belgium), the consequences of the ultra-fast-fashion on the environment and the economy (France), the deposit system for lithium-ion batteries (Austria and Germany); presentation of the work programme of the future Cypriot Presidency. - Over lunch: informal debate on environmental investments ‘A’ items: acts or measures to be adopted without debate: https://aeur.eu/f/jyd
• EU Council. Preparatory bodies (Brussels): - Political and Security Committee (PSC). - Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA). - Trade Policy Committee (Substitute Members). - EU Military Committee (EUMC). - Justice and Home Affairs Advisers. - Other meetings: https://aeur.eu/f/jyq
• European Commission. Weekly meeting of the College of Commissioners (Strasbourg). – Health Package (Ribera): *Biotech Act I. *Targeted simplification of the EU rules for medical devices and in vitro diagnostics. *EU cardiovascular health plan. *Food and feed simplification package. - Housing package: *European Affordable Housing Plan (Ribera). *Review of the State aid rules on the Services of General Economic Interest (Ribera). *New European Bauhaus (incl. proposal for a Council Recommendation on the New European Bauhaus) (Virkkunen). *Strategy for housing construction (Séjourné). - Automotive package : *Revision of the CO₂ standards for cars and vans (Ribera). *Battery Booster Strategy (Séjourné). *Automotive ‘Omnibus’ (Séjourné/Dombrovskis). *Greening corporate fleet (Fitto). - Clean Industrial Deal implementation package (Séjourné): *Strengthening the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). *Temporary support mechanism.]
• European Parliament. Plenary sitting (to 18/12 – Strasbourg). Agenda: https://aeur.eu/f/jy8

Wednesday 17 December

• European Council. EU-Western Balkans Summit (Brussels). - Strategic partnership: affirmation of the EU’s commitment to the Balkans, review of progress on reforms and compliance with the acquis communautaire, encouragement for regional cooperation and reconciliation. - Progressive integration and growth plan: review of the progress made in the progressive integration of the Western Balkan partners into the EU’s single market, in particular through the growth plan for the Western Balkans. - Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence: reaffirmation of support for Ukraine, discussions on security and defence cooperation and resilience in the face of hybrid and cyber threats. - Migration and the fight against organised crime and corruption: discussion on issues such as the management of migratory flows, visa policy, border management, the fight against corruption, human trafficking, organised crime, terrorism and violent extremism. - A Joint Declaration will be issued.
• EU Council. Preparatory bodies (Brussels): - Informal Coreper II. - Headline Goal Task Force (HTF). - Other meetings: https://aeur.eu/f/jyr
• European Parliament. Plenary sitting (to 18/12 – Strasbourg). Agenda: https://aeur.eu/f/jy8
• EU Council, European Parliament, European Commission. Inter institutional negotiations (Brussels). - Trilogue on the legislative package revising and simplifying retail investment legislation (PRIIPS Regulation, MiFID II and IDD, Solvency II, UCITS and AIFMD Directives). – Trilogue on legislation implementing the concept of ‘safe third countries’. – Trilogue on the regulation amending the criteria for establishing a list of ‘safe countries of origin’. – Trilogue on the regulation on the application of safeguards in the EU/Mercosur agreement.
• General Court of the EU (Luxembourg). #Judgments: T-620/23 to T-1023/23 (Barón Crespo and Others v Parliament) and in Case T-483/24 FE v. Parliament - is the European Parliament’s decision to reduce and no longer update the additional voluntary pension scheme compatible with the transitional measures provided for when the Statute for Members entered into force?

Thursday 18 December

• European Council. Summit of heads of state or government (and 19/12 - Brussels). Items on the agenda: - Ukraine; - Middle East; - Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034; - EU enlargement; - Migration; - Geo-economics and competitiveness.
• EU Council. Preparatory bodies (Brussels): - Military Committee Working Group (EUMCWG). - Working Party on the United Kingdom. - Other meetings: https://aeur.eu/f/jys
• European Parliament. Plenary sitting (Strasbourg). Agenda: https://aeur.eu/f/jy8
• European Central Bank. Meeting of the Governing Council (17-18/12 - Frankfurt). Monetary policy decisions
• Court of Justice of the EU (Luxembourg). #Judgments: - C-448/23 (Commission v Poland - Ultra vires review of the case-law of the Court of Justice - Primacy of Union law - can a Member State declare inapplicable, on the basis of its Constitution, provisions of the Treaties as interpreted by the Court of Justice?) - C-679/23 P (WS and Others v Frontex - Joint return operation - what is the nature and scope of Frontex’s obligations when it coordinates joint return operations?) - C-136/24 P (Hamoudi/Frontex - what are the evidential requirements for establishing damage in a liability action against Frontex where collective expulsion and breaches of fundamental rights are alleged?) - C-422/24 (Storstockholms Lokaltrafik - how does EU law regulate the obligation to inform persons filmed by body cameras used for transport controls?). - C-182/24 (SACD and Others - is a legal action to enforce the exploitation rights in a collaborative cinematographic work admissible if all the co-authors (or their successors in title) are not parties to the proceedings?) - C-366/24 (Amazon EU - Minimum rates for the delivery of books - is national legislation imposing a minimum rate for the delivery of books, justified by the promotion of cultural diversity, compatible with Union law, in particular with internal market rules?) - C-184/24 (Sidi Bouzid - does EU law permit the withdrawal of material reception conditions from an applicant for international protection who has refused a transfer of accommodation where that refusal is motivated by the best interests of a minor child?). - C-417/23 (Slagelse Almennyttige Boligselskab, Afdeling Schackenborgvænge - is the use, in public housing development plans, of a criterion based on the proportion of “immigrants and their descendants from non-Western countries” compatible with the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of ethnic origin laid down in EU law?) - C-168/24 (PMJC - Can the continued use of a trade mark bearing the name of a designer, when that designer is no longer involved in the creation of the goods, mislead the public and lead to revocation of the trade mark?) - Joined cases C-296/24 to C-307/24 (Jouxy and others - does the existence of a common residence between a frontier worker and the child of his registered spouse or partner give rise to a simple presumption of status as a “member of the family” giving entitlement to a family allowance provided for in the Member State in which that worker is employed?). #Conclusions: - Joined cases C-424/24 and C-425/24 (FIGC and CONI - is a sports justice system compatible with Union law where it deprives the persons concerned of the possibility of having a sanction preventing them from pursuing their professional activity annulled?).

Friday 19 December

• European Council. Summit of heads of state or government (and 19/12 - Brussels). See 18/12.
• EU Council. Preparatory bodies (Brussels): - Coreper I. - Coreper II. - Military Committee Working Group (EUMCWG). - Other meetings: https://aeur.eu/f/hhl